Written by: Vernika Awal10 min readNew DelhiAug 2, 2026 03:00 AM IST First published on: Aug 2, 2026 at 03:00 AM ISTTime, within the old walled city of Amritsar, feels like something you can almost put your hand on. The weight of eras gone by have settled down upon the peeled plasters on the walls of havelis — which even today carry a faint trace of grander days they have once seen. Look above, and you can’t find the open sky, only a series of ornate, carved balconies that sag under the weight of their centuries.I walked through carefully but with intent, amid faded frescoes peeled gently in the damp morning air, and heavy wooden doors that remained firmly shut — as if guarding memories that no one had opened in decades.